New Zealand Night Sky

Kayaking in Franz Josef, New Zealand

My ‘Kiwi Experience’ Review

Milford Sound, New Zealand [Gallery]

Eat Pray Love

Two days ago, I wrote about my decision to sell almost all of my belongings, put the rest in storage, and start backpacking around the world. Since then, I’ve gotten support from all of my family, almost all of my friends (the ones who matter, anyway), and my ex-wife. Someone who’s not on my side: one of my ex-wife’s best friends. She mockingly refers to this as my “Eat Pray Love” trip.

Until two days ago, I honestly had no idea what ‘Eat Pray Love’ was. I’d never seen the movie, let alone heard of or read the book. So, when I heard this, it made no sense. A quick Google search of the phrase led me to IMDB, where I read about the movie. A few minutes later, I was buying it on iTunes (a little after midnight, that night) and spent the next two and a half hours watching, essentially, a movie about myself.

If you, like me, haven’t read the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, it’s worth your time, especially if you’re going through a tough spot in life. Below you’ll find a couple trailers to give you an idea what its about.

Sound familiar? The movie hit the nail on the head, for me. Except, I’m not sexy like Julia Roberts, and I’m not from New York. Beyond that, there was one specific line from the movie that really made me stop and think because it’s a question I still don’t have the answer to.

“I had actively participated in every moment of the creation of this life, so why didn’t I see myself in any of it? The only thing that was more impossible than staying was leaving.”

Maybe you’ve found yourself asking a similar question. Maybe you’re already past the point of pondering and on your way to finding the answer. Maybe you’re going about it like me, or maybe you’re doing something completely different. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re still living in denial and haven’t admitted to yourself that this question begs to be answered. Whichever it is that applies to you, I’ll leave you with this one final thought from the movie:

“Ruin is the road to transformation. We must always be prepared for endless waves of transformation.”

If you’re interested in watching it, you can get it on Amazon here, or on iTunes here. It’s not currently available on Netflix.

About Mike Beauchamp

After a divorce, losing his job, selling his house, a tumultuous relationship and subsequent breakup, Mike sold 80% of his belongings, put another 18% in storage, and packed the remaining 2% into a backpack and hit the road. Mike is currently a vagabond of sorts, traveling the world with only what he can carry on his back. He has two objectives in all of this: to photograph the most beautiful places on Earth and to finally take the time to get to know himself. You can follow Mike on Twitter (@mbchp) for more frequent updates.